LivingDNA has started offering their new test kit based on the Illumina Infinium Global Screening Array to the general public

There are many blog posts of the new LivingDNA test (see sample list at the bottom of this article). Most are focused on covering the website results available; specifically the ethnicity and Haplogroup prediction given on the website. Supposedly, a match database is not yet available but possibly in the works; crucial for many in the genetic genealogy area. For our needs in this surname project, we look at the RAW data behind any test because that is what really allows for the deeper extraction of results. And, of course, enables the transfer to GEDMatch for common analysis. No one has reported if the RAW data can be downloaded, as of yet. So far, from what is reported, the RAW results appear more similar to what is available from the NGG Geno 2.0 NextGen test. So deeper yDNASNPs (13K+) than 23andMe provides (3K+) but full genomic coverage otherwise (like 23andMe). A key distinction also is this test is from a company based in Europe and so may attract more testers from there. Also, based on the reporting of Debbie, they seem to be doing detailed regional analysis in the UK based on the People of the British Isles Project covered in a 2015 Nature article. 23andMe was part of the consortia that helped develop this new IlluminaGlobal Screening Array chip. So we suspect 23andMe may soon offer a v5 test based on this new array. We have as yet to sample the new Helix test but, as NGG is part of their backing, we suspect the NGG Geno2.0 +/NextGen test is near identical to what Helix offers (in terms of RAW results; nothing is known about their website reporting yet). NGG, Helix, and LivingDNA are/were all swab (not spit) sampling methods. Like with Helix, once we get enough information to recommend LivingDNA as an alternative (or recommended) solution, we will update our Genetic Genealogy Testing page accordingly.

External Links covering the new LivingDNA test

Debbie Kennett Initial Blog Post (see end for data on coverage of the LivingDNA te4st and then compare to our table of current recommended tests

Note: Based on recent website changes, it is not clear if Helix will offer a test kit independent of simply ordering through the NGG project. As NGG has never offered a match database, their real value has been in the deep yDNA testing and the ability to import the result into FamilyTreeDNA. But this import was based on FamilyTreeDNA providing the test services (which was true of the original Geno2.0 offering). Helix-ordered kit results from inside the USA are no longer importable into FamilyTreeDNA and thus greatly reduce the utility of the NGG test. Recall that NGGAutosomal results were not directly importable into GEDMatch but in the Geno 2.0 +/NextGen from outside the USA they include a “full” set of Autosomal results that can be side-imported into GEDMatch. More as this all evolves.